Alphabetical numerology

GHARAIBUL JAMAL (Urdu): Nawab Aziz Jung Wila, revised by Dr. Hasnuddin Ahmed; National Council for Promotion of Urdu, Govt. of India, West Block-1, R.K.Puram, New Delhi-110066. Rs. 76.

SANSKRIT AND Urdu are two important Indian languages where combinations of alphabets form numerological substances. While in Sanskrit, and to some extent in Hindi, certain movements of stars are also reflected in predicting through numbers astrological patterns of human life, called ``Janam Patri'' to prepare these is an arduous task. The process of Urdu alphabetical enumeration is a relatively simpler and certainly a thought-provoking process.

The excellent work of Nawab Aziz Jung Wila, under review, is a methodological study of different forms of tables of numerology derived from groups of Urdu alphabets, processed to denote the dates of birth or achievements or deaths of celebrities or of important events. Even this is, however, a difficult task which could be accomplished by only such scholars who have studied numerological analysis. Even the great Indian lyrical poet Khusro, had a knack of deducing dates in some of his Persian couplets and even wrote a couplet of his name in a poetical puzzle which is again a lyrical art.

The book deals in the chapter, ``Different aspects of alphabetical numerology concerning with dates'' even poetical puzzles. In this art a little known poet, Hakim Mashooq Ali Khan Jauhar, who came from Shahjahanpur to settle down in Hyderabad, could bring out a couplet puzzle of the name of the late Prof. Baber Mirza, former Head of the Department of Zoology, in the Aligarh Muslim University. He was also an alphabetical numerologist who was presented to the late Maharaja, Sir Kishen Pershad, then Prime Minister of Hyderabad.

The author of the book, besides being one of the nobility of Hyderabad is a multi-faceted scholar whose presentation of a difficult subject in Urdu literature is unique in the sense that it is with all its intricacies, the numerical formations of Urdu alphabets, necessitating a deep study, but it is still within the easy grasp of the reader.

As Dr. Mohd. Hamidullah Bhatt, Director of the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, says in his preface, ``the Council has published several books on different literary and scientific subjects (in Urdu). The volume now published is a step forward in this direction and it is hoped that it would fulfil the dire need of such publications.''

The volume would be found useful by Urdu scholars, who are still engaged in the enunciation of Urdu alphabetical numerology.

MUSTAFA K. SHERWANI

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